Another example may be given of an incident that occurred when Islam had reached its perfection and order was established. The word of God came down, saying: ‘O Apostle! Proclaim the message which has been sent to you from your Lord. If you do not, you will not have delivered his message. God will protect you from men.’ When the Prophet reached the pool of Khumm, he asked for the land between the tall trees to be cleared. The call then went out that the prayer was about to begin. While the Prophet was still in the saddle, he said:

Of whomsoever I am the master, `Ali is the master. May God befriend those who befriend him, and be an enemy to those who are enemies to him; may he assist those who assist him, and forsake those who forsake him. May the truth be with him wherever he goes. So, I have delivered [the message].

This he said three times.

According to the Imamiya this was a clear appointment. [They say]: We call to mind those of whom the Prophet was the master, and the sense in which he was the master, then we apply it to `Ali. The Companions understood tawliya (appointment) as we understand it. Even `Umar when he met `Ali said to him: ‘Blessed are you, `Ali. You have now become the master of every believer, both man and woman!’